Deutsche Welle's most recent report, written by Anchal Vohra, who visited Doha and returned with stories of grief and shock.
On July 28, DW reporter saw more than a dozen workers laboring between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., hours designated as a rest period by the state of Qatar between June 15 and August 31, the hottest time of the year.
Though experts argue there should not be any work during the day in the harsh summers — when temperatures can rise to 50 Celsius (120F) — Qatar itself has banned work during these three and a half hours. And, yet, DW witnessed a clear breach of law even during the tiny window of reprieve for the workers.
Hundreds have died while at work on World Cup projects in Qatar. In 2012, 520 workers died and more than 300 of those deaths remain unexplained. Qatar says workers have died for reasons unrelated to working conditions, such as heart attacks or respiratory failure, but human rights bodies say these are euphemisms for heat-related deaths and argue that Qatar doesn't provide autopsy reports with the aim of hiding the real reasons.
Nicholas McGeehan, an expert on migrant workers' rights in the gulf who has researched workers' deaths for Human Rights Watch, was astonished at DW's findings. He sees the violation at a FIFA-linked stadium to be even more serious because FIFA projects are governed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which promises higher standards of welfare for workers. "This incident suggests contractors are not even abiding by the very basic laws," he told DW.
Activists have tried to highlight these health issues to the World Cup organizers. Despite those efforts, lapses continue and activists such as McGeehan question whether Qatar is serious about changing its attitude toward the workforce.